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Scientists introduce better wheat production technology
ISLAMABAD (October 18 2002) : The agri-scientists have developed a technology whereby fertiliser requirement of wheat crop can be reduced by one half of the currently applied fertiliser dose.
According to a research report, the effective fertiliser placement (banding along wheat rows) is extremely effective in reducing fertiliser need of the crop without any yield reduction.
In this technology, according to NARC scientists Dr A. Rashid, CEO (LRI) and Zahid Iqbal Awan, SO (LRI), only one-half of the broadcast fertiliser dose is band-placed along the crop rows at the time of sowing. Because of less fertiliser fixation in the soil by this method, Phosphate availability to the crop as very much enhanced as compared to the broadcast method. Thus only 16 kg P205 (40 kg DAP) per acre applied by the band placement technology is as effective as 36 kg P205 (60 kg DAP) per acre applied by the conventional broadcast method.
By adopting this technology, potential fertiliser saving on the whole wheat-growing area in the country would be Rs 2250 million per annum. And even if Phosphate fertiliser is band-applied on only 20% of the total wheat acreage, fertiliser saving would be of Rs 500 million per annum.
Substantial saving in foreign exchange spending would be and additional benefit to the national economy. Currently, NARC soil scientists and farm machinery engineers are striving to develop a local affordable seed-cum-fertiliser drill for proper placement of fertiliser for wheat sowing in the country.
Wheat being the major staple food is grown on about 21 million acres in Pakistan, Since good crop productivity is possible only with the use of adequate and balanced fertilisers, wheat receives largest fraction of the total fertiliser used which is an expensive farm input, particularly for resource-poor small landholders.
Nitrogen fertiliser (like urea) is produced in the country and as adequately available, However, Phosphate fertiliser DAP etc or its raw material (phosphoric acid and rock phosphate) is imported from abroad at the expense of scarce foreign exchange. The cost of the one bag of DAP is much more (about Rs 700) as compared with one bag of urea (Rs. 390).
The present use of phosphate fertiliser in wheat crop is about 250, 000 tons phosphate (equivalent to 543.000 tons of DAP). Total cost of this much phosphate fertiliser is about Rs 4,500 million.
Courtesy Business Recorder
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Pakissan.com;
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